Post
by Wayne Sheldon » Tue Dec 15, 2020 2:47 am
When I was growing up, an uncle had one of those old printing presses. He died in a plane crash when I was twelve, and the press was handed down to his kids, and placed in the barn at their mother's old house. Within a year, my older cousin was earning money printing cards and invitations, as well as a wide variety of silly things and selling them. That cousin was about a year and a half older than I, and I was helping him in type setting and running the press very early. Another cousin, a bit younger than I, was also doing some printing and we also worked together.
Shortly after that, in high school, I took a year of "graphic arts" which was a work training program, in printing. Even then, I thought it was bizarre that a high school would teach a dying art like typesetting in a work training class. I was more interested in history, and the typesetting class for me was one of the few classes in school that I ever enjoyed! So I was learning typesetting and old method printing in both school and working with my cousins. I have many hundreds of hours with each, the typesetting (which included similar picture blocks), and the printing (which also often included picture blocks).
Both the type and the picture blocks have printing surfaces that are moderately soft metal. Improper adjustment or alignment, too much pressure onto the printing surfaces can very easily damage them. Most people today do not understand this, and most collectors are not serious enough to care. However, if you ever get around some people that are serious, it can be interesting how they can critique the condition of printing blocks. Think model A Ford judges are picky?
I think printers ink should still be available, and most of the basic tools and supplies if you wanted to actually do some printing with it. Try googling "pilot press printing" (how did I remember that from so long ago?). A pilot press is a relatively small hand operated printing press. There is some artistry in getting the ink just right, so that it will make nice clean image. It has been so long since I did any printing, but it is something I have always wanted to have and play around with.
That is a wonderful and historic bit of the early Fords past.
